


Fine is Good

by upsteadheart



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:21:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsteadheart/pseuds/upsteadheart
Summary: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff. As two tickets to tonight’s Hawks’ game falls into Jay Halstead’s hands, there’s only one blonde he can think of to take with him. Plus, unexpected events lead to added, slow progress for their budding romance.
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 1
Kudos: 70





	Fine is Good

Seated at his desk in the bullpen, writing up post-case reports on a rather slow day in the Intelligence Unit, Jay was hoping to get as many of them done as possible today so that he could have somewhat of an evening after shift-end.

Voight poked his head out of his office, looking in the detective’s direction. “Halstead.” He called, making Jay’s head snap up to look in the sergeant’s direction.

“Serge?” Jay’s brow furrowed curiously. Voight nodded his head towards the inside of his office, silently gesturing for Jay to come inside, then disappeared from the door’s entrance back in.

As Jay rose from his chair, Hailey flashed him a questioning look from her own seat across from his, getting a shrug in reply, telling the blonde that her partner knew not a thing more about why he was being called to their boss’ office than she did.

He stepped away from his desk and slipped into Voight’s office, closing the door behind himself.

\--

“Everything okay, Serge?” Jay asked turned around and asked him. “Got any plans tonight?” Voight asked him simply, taking the detective slightly aback, not sure as to why his boss would be asking him this when they were about three hours out of shift-end.

“I, uh…” Jay searched for his words, calming down under his boss’ attempt at a friendly smile. “Reason I’m askin’ is, I got last-minute plans to get a drink with an old friend in Aurora tonight.

And before those plans were made, I had tickets to go see tonight’s Hawks’ game. Seemed a shame to let ‘em go to waste, and I know you’re about the biggest fan in Chicago. So, I figured you and Hailey could make good use of ‘em.” Voight told Jay.

Jay suddenly stiffened up at that. “—Hailey? Serge, I –” The grin that spread across the sergeant’s face only confused him further. “Halstead, you think me for a fool?” Voight cut him off.

“Sir?” Jay checked. “I know what bein’ apart while Upton was in New York did to the two of you, and what it made you both realize about the other.

And I also know that just a few weeks after she got back, Hailey was made an offer by the FBI that had you mopin’ around the bullpen all day, and then suddenly the next morning the two of you are walkin’ in here with a glow I haven’t seen either of you carryin’ and all of a sudden Hailey’s not takin’ the FED gig.” Voight further expanded on his point.

Jay gnawed his lip, nodding his head in defeat. “Chill, man.” The sergeant told him, making his detective look back up at him.

“In case the two of you hadn’t noticed, neither one of you’s been given the boot since you started seein’ in each other and there’s a reason for that.” Jay listened attentively.

“If you were letting the lines blur, carrying your personal lives into the team with you, and letting it affect how you both do your jobs, you’d have both been in here faster than your heads could spin, bein’ told one of you was out.

But seeing as how no one else out there knows there’s anything goin’ on between you and it’s been, what… six weeks?” Voight asked Jay.

“Yeah, just about.” Jay confirmed. His boss nodded in his direction, clearly seeing the light in his detective’s eye, as he thought about his girlfriend.

“You really love her, don’t you?” The words struck Jay right in the heart. The words hadn’t even been uttered between him and Hailey yet. But it didn’t mean the sentiments weren’t there, or weren’t growing by the second.

Jay nodded his head, “Yeah. Yeah, I do. She’s my whole world. Been that way since long before we started seeing each other. My partner, my best friend… now something a little more.” He expressed to his boss.

“I’m happy to see that light comin’ back into your life, Jay.” Voight told him sincerely, making the detective’s mind go back just a bit to a memory he’d long since buried and worked hard to keep that way.

Jay simply nodded, not wanting to bring it back up any more than that. “She makes me feel things I never thought were possible.” He told the sergeant.

Voight smile at that. “Good. Make sure you’re keepin’ each other that happy. You both deserve it.” Hank said to him, pulling open his desk drawer and reaching in for an envelope, then handing it over to Jay.

“Take your girl out, man. Enjoy a night out, and have some fun, will ya?” Jay finally smiled at that, taking the offered tickets.

“Thanks a lot for this, Serge. Hailey’s gonna go nuts over these.” Jay’s smile expanded, just imagining his girlfriend’s reaction when he finally got to show them to her.

Voight nodded in his direction, before Jay walked back out towards his desk.  
\--

“Hails, you almost ready? We gotta hit the road if we wanna beat traffic!” Jay called out across his girlfriend’s apartment towards the bedroom where she was currently changing.

“Almost!” Hailey called back to him. “In a rush when it comes to beating the Starbucks line, not so much when it comes to things that matter.” Jay muttered to himself.

“I heard that!” Came Hailey’s voice, making him turn around to take in the sight of her walking back into the living room, now changed into a pair of leggings, an over-sized Blackhawks jersey and a beanie atop her long blonde curls.

“Don’t you look adorable.” Jay beamed, stepping over to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a soft peck against her lips.

Jay lit up at the sight of Hailey’s bright features, resembling those of a kid on Christmas. “It’s nice to see you all smiley and happy.” Jay told his girlfriend.

“I’ve been dreaming about going to a hockey game my whole life. Even better than that, my first game is with you.” Hailey said to him.

Jay smiled down into her captivating orbs, leaving a kiss against her warm forehead. “There is no one else on earth I’d rather have there with me tonight.” Hailey grinned at that.

“Common. Don’t wanna miss puck-drop.” Jay told her, taking Hailey by the hand, and leading them out of her apartment, towards his car parked downstairs.  
\--

Sitting in their assigned seats at United Center, Jay couldn’t take his eyes off Hailey. She looked so genuinely happy, having the time of her life, up and out of her seat like a Mexican jumping bean every time the Hawks scored.

He dropped his arm around her shoulders, making Hailey turn her head back to smile at him, before leaning back in his embrace.

“Enjoying yourself?” Jay beamed at her. “Oh… Enjoying isn’t the word. This is insane, Jay. I feel like I’m dreaming.” She beamed at him excitedly.

Jay felt his heart melt at that. Beyond glad to be able to give his girlfriend something that meant so much to both of them. “I’m glad.” He told her, dropping a kiss to her hair.

The horn sounded off around the arena, signaling the end of the second period, taking the game into half-time intermission. Several people began to take the time to hit the restrooms, get some more drinks, stretch their legs…

Hailey turned to face her boyfriend, leaning her head up to kiss him. “Thanks, Jay.” She smiled softly. Jay’s brow furrowed, not seeing what she was thanking him for.

“I know either of the guys and so many of your friends woulda died over getting these kinds of seats for a game. But you took me instead.” Hailey clarified.

Jay nodded, wrapping his hand around her cheek, stroking her cheekbone with the bad of his thumb. “Hails, long before we even got together, my favourite thing in the world was and still is spending time with you.” He told her, making Hailey’s smile grow.

“Love the team, love spending time with the guys… Doesn’t make me as happy as spending time with you does. You weren’t my first choice to come tonight because we’re together now. You were my first choice, because when I thought about spending the night here with someone, you’re who my mind went to first. You’re always where my mind goes to first.” Jay disclosed to his girlfriend.

Hailey’s arms wrapped around his waist, bringing her knees up to her chest and cuddling into his side, as they watched the jumbo-tron.

“Awn, look, the ‘Kiss-Cam’.” Hailey pointed up at the screen, as the cameras locked on several couples throughout the busy crowd of the arena.

First a teen couple seemingly on their first date. Then an older couple who’d probably been together longer than either Hailey or Jay had been alive.

And then before either of them knew it, there was a cameraman stopping in row in front of them, pointing a camera in their faces, and the arena was chanting, “kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss…” 

Jay looked at Hailey worriedly, knowing this was probably the closest thing to a perfect opposite of her comfort zone. But she took him by surprise, squeezing his hand lightly.

“Give us a reason to make this story extra exciting to tell down the road?” Hailey suggested, making her boyfriend laugh.

His hand came up under her hair, holding her cheek in his palm and kissed her softly. Both of their eyes falling closed, as they heard the resounding sound of ‘awns’ coming from around the arena, making Hailey chuckle against her boyfriend’s mouth.

They parted when Jay felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled the device out of his pocket and read the pop-up at the top. Their team group chat currently blowing up.

Ruze: DUDE!? WHAT!?  
Kim: YES! Adam you owe me a c-note!  
Kev: I have so many questions… BRO! How could you hold out on us like that!

Jay showed Hailey the texts, making her laugh. “Well. Guess that cat’s outta the bag.” Hailey dropped.

“Yeah? How you doin’ with that?” He asked her, running his thumb over the back of her hand. “Not as scary as I thought.” She admitted.

Jay’s brow furrowed. “What made you think you’d be scared?” He wondered.

“Maybe scared is a little extreme of a word to use… But I’m a chronic control freak, you know that. I can’t keep my head on straight unless I’m in control of every aspect of my life.” Jay nodded, knowing from personal experience, his partner’s need to have all her ducks in a row and not a detail out of her control.

A small sigh escaped her. “I guess I just had this fear that if people started finding out we were together, we’d have to start answering questions, and having people wonder if we really can have both our relationship and our partnership… I liked having it just being ours for a little while.” Hailey explained herself.

Jay smiled at her comfortingly, his arm still holding her snuggly. “Hails, it’s always gonna be just ours. You don’t have to answer questions just because they’re asked, and certainly not if they make you uncomfortable.

Like I told you earlier, Serge kept plausible deniability and didn’t interject because we were able to separate the two. And I think personally that our ability to keep the two separated, is what allows us to have things to do and talk about when we’re away from work. We’re still just as in control of this thing as we were before people knew.”

A small grin crossed Hailey’s features. “Our thing? That really what we’re gonna keep callin’ it?” She asked him, making her boyfriend laugh.

“Well now, our ‘thing’ wouldn’t be our thing if we stopped calling it that, now would it?” Jay returned. “No, I guess you’re right, it wouldn’t. Plus – I think I kinda like calling it that rather than dating, seeing each other, or a ‘relationship’.

A ‘relationship’ just sounds so high school.” Her face cringed, making Jay laugh at her adorable antics. “I prefer to think of it as a new stage, or a new evolution of ‘our thing.’” Hailey told him.

“Yeah, I like that too.” Jay agreed, making Hailey beam at him.

“Want somethin’ to eat before the second half starts?” He offered. “Yeah, but… Guess it’s gonna have to wait till we get home.” Hailey grinned, giving him the up and down. Jay shook his head at her, her child-like features never able to keep him from smiling.

“You’re such a goofball.” Jay teased, kissing her cheek. “You wouldn’t have me any other way.” Hailey reminded him.

Hailey looked in front of them to see an older couple seated in the row in front of them. The older lady smiled at her. “Hold onto him, honey. Guys like him come around once in a lifetime.” Hailey smiled coyly at her boyfriend.

“I don’t intend to let go of him any time soon.” The blonde assured the woman. “We were just like you kids once upon a time, now we’re goin’ on 50 years married.” The older man’s southern accent told Hailey and Jay.

The detective’s mouths both fell open. “50 years?” Hailey returned, making the older couple laugh. “What’s the secret to that one, if ya don’t mind me asking?” Jay wondered.

“Keep findin’ new ways to surprise her every day, and give her more reasons to keep wantin’ to be with you than away from you.” The gentleman advised.

Jay leaned back in his seat, smiling at his girlfriend. “Like to think I can manage that.” Jay thought out loud. “You’re already doing it.” Hailey assured him, leaning her head against him.

He bent his head down and kissed her forehead, making the older couple beam at them. “You two kids’ll be just fine.” She assured them.

“Fine is good.” Jay whispered into Hailey’s blonde locks, making his girlfriend smile.


End file.
